Obituary MISS D. M. HOLLAND

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30145, 31 May 1963, Page 2

Obituary MISS D. M. HOLLAND

A former Canterbury woman, and a graduate of Canterbury University College, Miss D. Mary Holland, died on Saturday in Hawke’s Bay. where she was formerly headmistress of Woodford House School. Miss Holland was a daughter of a Canterbury country parish vicar. She took first class honours in “Mental and Moral Philosophy” with her M.A. degree and then taught for a time before going to Britain for some years. She studied new educational methods that were being developed in Britain. In 1916, when V.A.D.’s were needed in military hospitals, she was in one of the first groups ta volunteer, and was stationed at the New Zealand Hospital at Codford, on Salisbury Plain. On returning to New Zea. land. Miss Holland became the first head of the lower school of the Diocesan High School in Auckland. She was appointed headmistress of Woodford House in 1922. Miss Holland proved to be a sound financier as well as a fine teacher. When one of the main houses had to be rebuilt after the 1931 earthquake it was largely through her efforts that this was achieved. She also instituted several scholarships. During World War H she initiated an unusual war effort at the school. It was known as th(P"Honey Fund ” She felt that honey was not just a luxury, but a valuable food. All the money that could be raised by the school was used for sending honey to the small naval ships. In the first two years of the war 30,0001 b of honey was dispatched and hundreds of letters of gratitude were received from ships’ commanders and their men. Miss Holland retired from Woodford House in 1942.